


Box of Bolts

by kasumixkira



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: 2014 SteveTonyFest Gift Exchange, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, M/M, collection of oneshots, mentioned m!preg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-24
Updated: 2014-09-24
Packaged: 2018-02-18 14:35:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2351855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kasumixkira/pseuds/kasumixkira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A few flash fictions written for the 2014 SteveTonyFest Gift Exchange on Tumblr showing sweet and fluffy moments between Steve and Tony.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Well-Earned

**Author's Note:**

> My gift to the lovely [starsandstark](http://starsandstark.tumblr.com/). This first story contains her superfamily headcanon, which implies a m!preg Tony.

He despised those moments the Avengers returned home bruised and wrapped like mummies, because bad guys weren't suppose to gain an upper hand. They weren't suppose to have backup plans to their backup plans that kept the good guys occupied until three in the morning. It was against the natural order. Though, Tony found one positive to that night’s situation: Peter and Liberty would be sleeping as he and Steve sneaked down the hall, and Happy was already out cold on the couch, if the snores were any indication.

The twins must have been wide-eyes in the dark and listening, however.

Libby rushed to Steve, Peter stumbling shortly behind, and he lifted them into those strong arms like he hadn't taken a beating and hadn't held his shield high all night. He smiled instead, like it was any normal night when the kids stayed up past bedtime.

“Shouldn't you both be sleeping?”

“You and Dad weren't there to read to us,” Libby said, the words muffled against Steve’s neck. Tony saw Peter’s head bob in agreement.

And Steve sagged a little at that, almost about to apologize. Tony could see the words forming, so he kissed Libby’s head and gathered Peter to his chest, also giving him a smooch in response to the quiet “missed you” in his ear. “We’re here now, Honey. Com’on, let’s get everybody settled in.”

Peter pulled back a little, hands fisted in Tony’s shirt. “You’re staying, too. Right?”

“Yeah.”

After a hard minute of scrutiny, Peter said, “Okay,” and snuggled close, leaving Tony to shrug at Steve, both chuckling and turning towards their room.

So maybe the bad guys were a little smarter that night, but they were tied up in SHIELD holding cells while he and Steve cocooned themselves around Peter and Libby, settling in for a well-earned peaceful night, their darlings safe (and the city around them still standing, for once).

* * *

 

**Bonus moment:**

Oh!

They toppled backwards, clothes half open, hands everywhere, tongues and teeth clashing. As much as he adored spending time after dinner curled up with Pete and Libby between them on the couch while watching movies, he craved moments like this. As soon as Natasha had the kids (plus Clint, damn him) out the door for ice cream, he had Steve pressed against a wall, that little breathy gasp making the wait well worth it.


	2. Bolt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Tony shouldn't worry so much.

It worried him sometimes—how could it not with the easy way those two stood near one another, arm around shoulder, heads tilted close—but Steve told him there was nothing between them. He trusted Steve, all-American boy with enough honesty to drown the world.

Right?

Steve turned away from Bucky, obviously mid-sentence when Tony dropped the bolt he was trying to attach for the seventh time, and gave him that hidden smile he loved.

Yeah, he shouldn’t worry. Tony grinned as he set about tinkering, bolt firmly in place.


	3. Tinker My Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steampunk AU

The bells above the door chimed in the otherwise quiet room. Well, not so quiet, but the sounds of whirring machines and metal clanking against metal had become so commonplace to Tony that the harmonic bells stood out of place. Especially in his little automaton workshop that was squished in the dead end of an alley next to an abandoned hatter’s place. He preferred taking mail-order commissions and leaving Pepper to deal with face-to-face business in the storefront on Main Street. This person didn’t get the memo, apparently.

Tony turned to tell the intruder to bugger off, in some not-so-nice words, and pulled up short. He knew he was staring, and the ratchet in his hand, that one he would have thrown in the case his intruded needed an incentive to vacate, dropped and sent a pile of spare parts scattering across the floor.

The man twisted around sharply, hand leaving off petting a half-scrapped mechanical bird, and pink spread across his cheeks with a meek, “Hi.”

He had to know how gorgeous he was, Tony thought, clenching his jaw. Specimen or not, he didn’t deal with customers. “Look, if you’re here for a commission, take it up with—”

The man spoke up before he could go on, “No. I…um…I have….” He rummaged through the bag against his hip, tilting sideways into the metal skeleton of something or other. “Sorry, it’s just…here.” He held a tiny object between his finger and thumb.

Tony had to step forward to see it properly: a small cog made from red iron flecked with slivers of a shining blue stone. It belonged to the Arc Reactor mechanics in his chest—a spare piece from the old model (that he may or may not have thrown over the side of a bridge), but still a rare material. He stopped himself from reacting, wary now of his intruder.

“It took me a while to find the place, and I didn’t recognize the maker’s mark until a friend pointed it out.”

Crossing his arm against his chest, Tony huffed. “And now what?”

The stranger extended his arm, expression soft and open.

Tony didn’t move. “Just like that, you’re handing it over. No blackmail or demands.”

With a firm shake of his head, the man placed the cog on a workbench and stood back. “It’s all yours. And now that you have it, I think I’ll go.”

“You think.”

He blushed, but Tony continued speaking before he could get a word in defense. “I’m curious, though, how you came by this trinket?”

“It, well…” He scratched the tip of his nose and ducked his head to the side. “It fell on me, I guess you could say. From above. That was the first time I saw you, and I wanted to return it then, just to meet you and stop you from looking as miserable as you did, but you disappeared. It wasn’t until Natasha mentioned the maker’s mark and your workshop that I could actually catch you.”

“Natasha. Fiery hair Natasha who will kick your ass if you look at her wrong?”

Grinning, the man nodded. “You’ve met her, then.”

“And opened my mouth before the filters kicked in. I knew I shouldn’t have let Pepper hang out with her.” He sighed before glancing up at his intruder using his best bedroom eyes. “Maybe you wouldn’t mind a fella taking you out for drinks?”

“Is that what you said to her?” The man laughed, and Tony knew he could get used to hearing that. “I’d love to.”

“Perfect.” Then he chuckled. “I never caught your name, stranger.”

“Steve.”

…..

And months later, if Tony returned that little cog made from red iron to Steve, well, he wouldn’t admit out loud that he liked Steve carrying a piece of his heart.


End file.
